40% ABV, 700 ml
The 25 Year old is an expression of elegance. Subtle, complex, fine, this Calvados is the result of extensive know-how. A blend of very old Calvados, which is a minimum of 25 years old, distilled by the family Groult during the twentieth century.
4 stars, Highly Recommended. "Cocoa brown color; very minor sediment seen, inconsequential. Yes, I get odors of old oak / sawdust right away as I do a full measure of baked apple... leaving the aromatic door open for deft, mature fragrances of black pepper, oak plank, apple butter, and spiced baked apple. Entry is lusciously sweet and apple ripe and buttery / creamy and I can't help wonder how this entry transformed my impressions...to full tilt green light; midpalate exhibits all the mature attributes of an older calvados, meaning sublime apple strudel taste, slight piquancy from the touch of baking spice (nutmeg mostly), the underscoring influence of oak-impacted lipids (fats) that make the texture rich and creamy, and just an overall apple brandy splendor right through the languid, leisurely aftertaste that begs for a cigar."
Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal, Dec. 2018
A family estate spanning five generations, the “Clos de la Hurvaniere” lies in the heart of the Pays d’Auge. Planted on flint clay covered with fine, silty soil, the Groult’s 65 acres of orchards are a mix of traditional "high-stem" apple trees and "half-stem" apple trees, which yield 30 varieties of apples, which are either sweet, bitter-sweet or acidic.
From October to December all the cider apples are sorted by hand and cleaned before being pressed. 600 tons are pressed each year on average; 1 ton of apples can produce 700 liters of cider for distillation.
Apple ciders (6-7%vol.) are distilled after one year of slow and natural fermentation on fine lees. The first heating of cider in our alembic pot-stills produces the intermediary alcohol named “petite eau” at 30% vol. The second distillation is the “proper heating” (“la bonne chauffe”) and produces Calvados at 70% vol. on average. In both of distillations they separate heads and the tails to keep only the best part of the distillation, “le coeur de chauffe”.
Pioneers in long-aging their Calvados, a separate cellar has been built and dedicated to each generation of the family, giving a feeling of continuity, consistency, and quality when touring the estate. Groult ages their Calvados only in very old oak barrels (most of them are more than 100 year old) to focus on the fruit taste. Groult has more than 350 barrels in their cellars. Barrels are never totally empty to keep roots of very old Calvados for each blend. The age mentioned on the label corresponds to the youngest vintage that was used for the blend.
Bottling is also done at the domain, without chill filtration, in order to preserve the maximum of aromas and sweetness in the Calvados.
